Large-eddy simulation of turbulent separated and reattached flow in enlarged annular pipe

TL;DR

This paper uses large-eddy simulation to analyze turbulent separated and reattached flow in enlarged annular pipes, revealing vortex dynamics, flow instability, and effects of pipe diameter ratio on flow characteristics.

Contribution

It provides detailed insights into vortex structures and flow behavior in enlarged annular pipes, highlighting the impact of pipe diameter ratio on turbulence and pressure recovery.

Findings

Vortex rings are periodically shed from the expansion.

Flow becomes more three-dimensional with vortex structures.

Smaller pipe ratios delay pressure recovery and increase downstream turbulence.

Abstract

This study performs a large-eddy simulation of turbulent separated and reattached flow in an enlarged annular pipe. A vortex ring is periodically shed from the sudden expansion part. A longitudinal vortex occurs around the vortex ring, making the flow three-dimensional. As a result, the vortex ring becomes unstable downstream and splits into small vortices. A tubular longitudinal vortex structure occurs downstream of the reattachment point near the wall surface on the inner pipe side. A low-frequency fluctuation occurs at each pipe diameter ratio. The smaller the pipe diameter ratio is, the more downstream the influences of small-scale vortices and low-frequency fluctuation on the flow field appear. The smaller the pipe diameter ratio, the slower the pressure recovery downstream from the reattachment point. The pressure recovery on the inner pipe side is delayed compared to the outer pipe side. Turbulence is maximum upstream of the reattachment point due to the small-scale vortices generated by the collapse of the vortex ring. This maximum value decreases as the pipe diameter ratio decreases. The smaller the pipe diameter ratio, the higher the turbulence downstream from the reattachment point.